2024-05-11 08:10:32
The Dog in Dock winery has placed a new sculpture of dogs by the artist David Černý in its premises in Veselí nad Moravou in the Hodonín region. The statue stands near the port of Baťova canal, and some of the locals were outraged. According to them, it represents intercourse. They wrote a petition for the removal of the work, which has been signed by about fifty people so far.
According to the winery, the sculpture depicts dogs at play. The wish was for Černé’s work to arouse emotions in people again, says Eva Boušková from the investment group Trigema, of which Dog in Dock is a part.
The group has been working with the artist for more than eight years. She appreciates that he is not afraid to go against conventions. “His art gives architecture a soul, playfulness and space for imagination and inspiration for others. Cooperation with David Černý fulfills us, because we are not a classic winery either. The port of Baťova Kanal and the Dog in Dock winery form a place where passion for wine, art and a unique location. And that’s something that Veselí nad Moravou lacked,” thinks Boušková.
According to her, the city of roughly ten thousand people should be proud that an artist recognized abroad created a work right here. “Thanks to this, Veselí nad Moravou now has the potential to become a popular tourist destination worldwide,” adds Eva Boušková.
The input was only the name of the place, i.e. Dog in Dock, which translates to Dog in the harbor. A four meter tall sculpture David Černý made of stainless steel with a mirror-polished surface, it represents three dogs. “It is also interesting thanks to the playful element, where only two dogs can be seen at the same time from various points of view. The work is supposed to leave people room for imagination and arouse emotions, which it certainly does,” explains Boušková.
However, part of the population considers the statue unattractive. “Three dogs on top of each other, which can be said with certainty that they are having sex with each other. This impropriety alone would be worth stabbing, but to top it all off, the statue is located at the very entrance to Veselí in the direction of Brno, on the 1st class road I/54, ” wrote the authors of the petition. “So what will they think of us (arrivals)? And what about the visitors to Bať’s canal, who are increasing every year?” they ask.
According to the investment group, there are many works of art in public space that do not evoke any emotions. “And such are unnecessary for society. A work of art must arouse emotions and initiate discussion. In this way, it can bring new perspectives and stimuli to the public space. Discussion around art can thus help people to better understand themselves and the world around them and can lead to a deeper cultural awareness and mutual respect,” responds Boušková. According to her, positive opinions prevail and the group is satisfied with the result. The sculpture draws attention and emphasizes the character of the grounds, she said.
City representatives do not want to comment on the statue or the petition. The spokeswoman of the town hall, Olga Svoják, replied that it was a private work on private land.
The public recently debated David Černý’s art in connection with his proposal to place a sculpture representing a hybrid of a spitfire fighter and a butterfly on the facade of the Máj department store in Prague. Some experts criticize the proposal. In addition, there was a stir on social networks when Černý insulted curator Maria Foltýnová from the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague on television. The case ended with an apology.
Černý and Foltýnová met at the end of the program Events, comments. The curator argued there, among other things, that Prague’s May Day is a cultural monument. “The question is whether Máj is such a fundamental cultural monument,” Černý relativized it, who several times misspelled the curator’s name and addressed her as a comrade. He also questioned the activities of the Gallery of the City of Prague. Foltýnová, on the other hand, previously criticized his statue with the mythical figure of Lilith on the house in Karlín. “I don’t think the work is progressive at all,” she said at the time.
In the last seconds of the broadcast, Černý could be heard telling the curator something. “Go to hell,” responded the expert. “You go to hell,” replied Černý. A snippet of this exchange has received hundreds of thousands of views on the X social network, formerly known as Twitter, alone.
Video: Czechs had gray taste, says Najbrt
Renowned graphic designer Aleš Najbrt also commented on David Černý’s design for the Prague department store Máj in the Spotlight program this month. | Video: The Spotlight Team